Lace Cookies With Oatmeal &Almonds (No Mixer)
These cookies are fabulous! Just a warning—keep one hand under your chin when you eat them. You don’t want to drop a single bit, they’re that good! Susan
A timeless classic, these delicate oatmeal lace cookies with almonds are the perfect balance of buttery, sweet, and crispy. Ready in under 30 minutes, they are perfect for tea, a shower, or gifting.
This is a very old – and really good recipe – from my aunt. She had no idea where she got it. Definitely not the internet back in the day!
What to expect
- Buttery, crisp, lacy texture: Thin cookies that spread, caramelize, and bake into beautifully light golden brown, delicate wafers. The recipe makes 48–60 small cookies.
- Similar to Florentine lace cookies (which also include almonds) but far less fussy. There’s no chocolate dipping and no sandwiching required.
- Quick and easy: About 30 minutes start to finish, and no electric mixer. The cookies are simple, yet sophisticated.
- Surprisingly light: Only 1 tablespoon of flour!
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
- Oats: You can use rolled oats or quick-cooking oats for this recipe. Instant oats will also work, but they contain added salt and sugar, which may be important to you. Don’t use steel-cut oats.
- Almonds: Use thinly sliced or slivered almonds. Toast them if you want to add a nutty flavor. I do. Or buy them pre-roasted.
Substitutions
- Nuts: Use finely chopped walnuts or pecans instead.
- Vanilla: Replace with a few drops of almond extract.
- White sugar: You can use brown sugar instead for a hint of caramel flavor.
Variations
- Add chocolate – options:
- Drizzle melted semi-sweet or dark chocolate on the cookies.
- Dip one side of the cookie in melted chocolate on a plate.
- Sandwich 2 cookies with melted chocolate in between.
- Add lemon or orange zest to the batter. I often make half with zest and half without. Or add zest after baking.
- Add a pinch of cinnamon.
- Gluten-free version: swap the flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour, oat flour or rice flour. Most oats are gluten-free, but check the package. A good option is Bob’s Red Mill oats.
Step-by-step instructions
Tips
- Make sure you spread out the cookie batter to give the cookies enough room to spread.
- Most oven temperatures are not accurate so the baking time may vary. Watch them carefully in the last few minutes to ensure the lacy cookies don’t get too dark.
- It’s important to allow this delicate cookie to cool for a few minutes to firm up before you remove them from the pan to cool completely.
Shortcut
Buy roasted almond slivers if you can to save the step of toasting them yourself. I get them at a bulk food store.
What to serve with oatmeal lace cookies
These are exactly the kind of cookies you would find at a tea, shower, cookie exchange, or brunch. But don’t get us wrong, they also hit the spot with a cold glass of milk in front of the TV.
They’re also fantastic with ice cream. Nestle a cookie into a scoop, or crumble one on top for a sweet, crunchy finish.
For something lighter, pair the lace cookies with a fresh tropical fruit salad (just 4 ingredients).
Recipe FAQs
Lace cookies naturally spread a lot, but too much spread usually means the batter was too warm or the butter too hot when mixed. Cool the melted butter slightly or place the batter in the fridge for 5 minutes before scooping.
They may need another 1–2 minutes in the oven, or they didn’t cool long enough. Lace cookies crisp as they cool, so leave them on the sheet for a minute, then transfer to a rack to finish firming up. A humid environment can also soften your cookies. Keep them in a cool, dry place.
Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Avoid baking the cookies directly on the pan. If a cookie sticks, let it cool a little longer before you transfer it to a wire rack.
Yes. For small cookies, use 1 teaspoon of batter. For larger ones, use 2 teaspoons, but add 1–2 minutes of bake time and leave more space between scoops (they spread a lot!).
This dough or batter is not ideal for freezing. You can, however, freeze the baked cookies for 1-2 months. Use a container with a sealed lid to prevent them from breaking in the freezer.
More easy cookie recipes
- biscotti (with a twist)
- skor chocolate chip cookies (25 min)
- easy lemon shortbread cookies (30 minutes)
- elephant ear (palmier) cookies (30 minutes)
- chewy chocolate chip cookies
- hazelnut cookies with chocolate smear (37 minutes)
Or check out our collection of sweets and treats (30 minutes or less)
Please leave a 5-star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe. Thank you so much!
Lace Cookies (Oatmeal & Almond)
Ingredients
- 1 cup thinly sliced or slivered almonds (or finely chopped walnuts or pecans)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
- 1/2 cup melted salted or unsalted butter 1 stick
- 3/4 cup white sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1 cup quick cooking oats (or rolled oats)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: 1-2 teaspoons lemon or orange zest .
Optional finish
- drizzle of dark or semi sweet melted chocolate.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F/163C. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper (or prepare two pans to bake at the same time).
- TOAST ALMONDS (OPTIONAL): (worth it for a nuttier flavor) Toast the almonds by dry-toasting them in a small pan over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes. Shake the pan often to brown evenly and to make sure they don't burn.
- MAKE COOKIE BATTER: Combine flour, salt and baking powder in a small bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, mix oats, beaten egg, slightly-cooled melted butter, sugar and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients and almonds (and lemon or orange zest if using), just until combined.
- BAKE COOKIES: Drop teaspoons (not tablespoons) of batter 3 inches/7.6 cm apart on prepared large baking sheets (cookies will spread a lot). Flatten slightly. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. The centres may still look a little soft. Remove from oven. Cool 5 minutes on pan to let cookies firm up a bit. Then transfer them with a thin metal spatula to a cooling rack to cool completely and get crisp. Drizzle with melted chocolate if desired (if you do, let it harden on the counter or in fridge before you store them).
Recipe Notes
- Variations and substitutions:
- Add chocolate: Drizzle melted semi-sweet or dark chocolate on the cookies. Dip one side of the cookie in melted chocolate on a plate. Or sandwich 2 cookies with melted chocolate in between.
- Nuts: You can replace the almonds with finely chopped walnuts or pecans if you like.
- Replace the vanilla with a few drops of almond extract.
- Add lemon or orange zest to the batter. I often make half with zest and half without.
- Gluten-free version: swap the flour with a 1:1 gluten-free flour, oat flour or rice flour. Most oats are gluten-free, but check the package. A good option is Bob’s Red Mill oats.
- Make ahead:
- Baked cookies:
- Store in an airtight container for 5-7 days at room temperature.
- May be frozen in airtight container or ziploc bags for 1-2 months.
- To freeze before baking, place teaspoons of dough on cookie sheet, flash freeze for 30 minutes, then transfer the balls of dough to a ziploc bag or airtight container.
- Baked cookies:
These cookies are fabulous! Just a warning—keep one hand under your chin when you eat them. You don’t want to drop a single bit, they’re that good!
Too funny! Thank you so much for leaving a lovely comment Susan!
Can this recipe use vegan butter alternatives?
Yes, a vegan butter should work ok if you use one with a similar consistency to regular butter (like Earth Balance). The texture might be slightly different, so watch them carefully in the oven. And let us know how they turn out if you have a chance.
So, how does it work using only 1 tablespoon of flour. How can a cookie recipe use only 1 tablespoon? Do they seem more like candy?
I know how surprising it is, but they work. The oatmeal gives them body. The cookies are thin and delicate (not like candy). Give them a try and see what you think – I would love to hear!
Call them crack cookies! Sooo good. Easy to make. Toasting the sliced almonds a good idea as is using almond extract. ?
Ooh, now I want to run down and make them 🙂
Easy to make and were devoured in a few hours by family and friends. Everyone is begging me to make them again, so okay, will do today.
Now that’s an endorsement. Thanks so much Holiday! 🙂